National Treasure Chasm of Mysteries
by R - Equine Writer
Summary: When the famous Skeleton Canyon treasure letters come into Ben's hands, he is determined to look for the treasure. But who has the map? And is the treasure really a myth? Please read and review! Thanks!
1. The Letters

**Hi, I hope you all like this story. I shall try to update as often as I can! Enjoy!**

National Treasure - Chasm of Mysteries

Chapter 1 – The Letters

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><p><em>Historical Flashback<em>

_The Estrada gang were surrounded; Old Man Clanton crept closer to the ground, watching the Mexicans enjoying their afternoon siesta, completely oblivious to the danger they were now in. He smiled greedily at the thought of the booty that he could get by killing a couple of dozen men. He looked at his own men – Billy Grounds was peering over the edge of his gun barrel, waiting for the right moment to fire. Zwing Hunt was peeled to the ground, an evil smile painted on his face. Jim Hughes was licking his lips excitedly, whilst the sweat stood in beads on his forehead. The other men were hidden here and there, each holding rifles in their hands, fingering the triggers in feverish anticipation._

_Then they began. The canyon was filled with the sounds of gunfire, echoing around the rocky walls. They even shot the mules to keep them from running away with the money. Before the dust had cleared, it was obvious that the Mexicans were dead._

_The massacre had been terrible – one of the worst in Arizona's history! The loot was all theirs, but little did Old Man know that Jim, Billy and Zwing would double-cross him, and rebury the treasure in another place, unknown to him and the other men. But where did they bury it? Where did Billy and Zwing disappear to after the ambush for such a long time? Did they ever leave any clues behind for someone – a loved one perhaps – to find the loot? Did Skeleton Canyon hold the answer? No one knew – but many dreamed._

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><p>Ben looked at Abigail with a smile of incredulity on his face. "How did you get hold of these?" he asked her.<p>

"Ah, I have my ways," Abigail replied, with a secretive smile which only tugged at Ben's curiosity all the more.

"Of course, I had nothing to do with it," said Riley, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed before his chest.

"Well, how did you _both_ come by these?" Ben rephrased his question.

Abigail looked at Riley. "Shall we tell him?"

"The guy who knows everything? Let him solve it!" Riley answered.

"Ah, uh!" Ben said. "I'll make you tell me," and he pulled Abigail towards him and kissed her quickly.

"If you want the answer, you'll have to do better than that," Abigail said.

"Okay," and Ben kissed her again, this time longer.

"Um, hellooo! Just to remind you guys, I'm Riley Poole, and I happen to be standing in this room…"

Ben and Abigail looked at each other, and rolled their eyes, sharing a laugh with their looks before they turned to Riley. "Alright," Ben said. "Why don't _you_ tell me how you came by these letters?"

Riley smiled. "Alright, I'll do that – after all, it was all thanks to me." He didn't notice Abigail's slight shake of the head. "Well, we were just going through the attic together when I kind of stumbled across them…" Abigail tried not to laugh, for Riley had, to put it quite frankly, fallen across them.

"They were lying on top of some empty boxes, as if they had been discarded," Abigail said. "I saw them, and knew at once that they had to be special. So we brought them down to you."

Riley had just moved house, and Ben and Abigail were helping him to 'organize' his new home. The person who had lived there before had died, leaving the property to some family members. They had sold the house, clearing out the furniture and most of the attic. This was one thing that they had missed.

Abigail and Ben sat down together on the sofa. "This is incredible," Ben whispered in a raptured voice. Abigail nodded in agreement.

"Uh, could someone please tell me what's so wonderful about the old dusty letters wrapped up in brown paper and string?" Riley asked in a voice that showed he really wasn't impressed.

Ben looked up. "These," he said, "are more than just old dusty letters. They are written to Maggie Clinger, from Arthur Burtcher!"

"Wow!" Riley said sarcastically. "The way you just said that, it makes it sound as if it should have some significance."

"Yeah, well, some people just don't know that Arthur Burtcher is the real name of Billy Grounds."

Riley stood up straight and started snapping his fingers, "I know that name," he said. "Who is he again?"

"He's the guy who was in on that awful massacre attack on the Mexican gang in Arizona in 1881," Abigail said excitedly. Like Ben, she had a great love for history.

"Hey, I remember that story!" Riley exclaimed. "Isn't that the story of the Skeleton Canyon Treasure?" Ben nodded at him. "Who was Maggie, though?" Riley continued. "Was she his ladylove?"

"No," Ben said. "She was his sister. After double-crossing the leader of the Clanton gang, Billy Grounds went into hiding with another guy, and every week he would write a letter to his sister, hail a stagecoach, and send it on to her."

"Of course, they really belong to me, seeing as I bought the house…" Riley said smiling. "Do you think they would fetch me some money?"

"You can't sell these!" Ben cried excitedly.

"Why, not? They're mine!"

"Fine, fine, I'll buy them off you." Ben said. He reached into his pocket and brought out his wallet. "How much do want for them?"

"Well, if you care that much for them, then I won't sell them," Riley said. "What makes you so excited about them, though?"

"I have _always_ wanted to lay my hands on these!" Ben cried enthusiastically, rising from his seat. "I've heard he tells his sister somewhere in them where the treasure was hidden."

Riley's face clouded. "Oh, no!" he said suddenly.

"What?" Ben and Abigail asked together.

"It's just the way you said that and the look in your eyes. It made me think you want to go and look for the treasure!"

Ben looked at Abigail, and then back at Riley, "Maybe it's time we did go on another treasure hunt!"

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><p><strong>I know this is short, but I hope you enjoyed! Please review to let me know what you thought of the first chapter! Thankyou!<strong>


	2. Questions

Chapter 2 – Questions

Ben sat down at the dining table, and pulling his chair closer to the table, began to read the letters aloud.

"_Sister dear,_

_I cannot bring you this news, as I am presently hiding. But do not fret, for we have struck rich! Maggie, I have drawn you a map of the area. In my future letters, I shall tell you where on the map we have hidden the treasure, so that if my friend and I do not make it out of here alive, then you, at least, shall find the treasure and have it for your own. Remember what this letter says, dear sister. I shall send you some clues. I dare not tell you quite plainly where the treasure is hid, for fear this letter may pass through hands other than your own. But by these clues you should be able to find the treasure._

_I hope that you are quite well._

_Arthur"_

The writing was horrendous, and had caused Ben to stutter more than once, prohibiting him from reading it clearly.

"Where's the map then?" Riley asked Ben, after he had finished reading the first letter.

"I don't know," Ben said slowly, turning the paper over and over in his hand.

"You mean it's not in with those letters? Oh, great! You might as well give up. No map – no hope!"

"No, wait, there is a chance…" Ben started.

"Like the Declaration of Independence!" Abigail cried excitedly.

"Exactly," Ben said.

"We need lemons," Abigail continued. She rushed for Riley's kitchen.

Riley walked after her, "I thought I'd just offer," he said dryly. "Feel free to use one of mine."

"Already have," Abigail said, smiling as she came back with a lemon. She carefully cut the fruit into four segments, and then turned to Riley. "We need cotton buds."

"Fine, I'll go get them," he said, walking off whilst muttering something about turning his home into a cryptographic site instead of organizing it into a home.

He soon returned, and handed the buds to Abigail.

"Do you really think the map is on the back of the letter?" he asked Ben.

"I don't know, but I'm ready to find out," Ben answered.

Abigail ran the cotton bud along the lemon segment, soaking up the acidulous juice. She looked at Ben, who had turned the letter face down, ready for its operation. She handed him the cotton bud, "You do it."

He took it from her, and paused for a moment, with the cotton bud hovering an inch above the paper. Then he began, gently brushing the back of the letter over with the juice. Then he crouched down low next to the paper, and breathed on it, just like he had done on the Declaration of Independence. However, unlike that case, nothing appeared. The page still looked old and stained, and now a little damp – but no map appeared at all.

"See, it has failure written all over it!" said Riley, ever the 'enthusiast'! "If you don't have a map, how are you supposed to know where to look?"

"The letters are meant to have clues. We might be able to find the treasure without the map," Ben said hopefully.

"You know what? I don't like the look of this!" cried Riley.

"Well, before we decide anything else, let's read the other letters," Abigail suggested.

Riley shrugged his shoulders, so Ben sat down once more, and picked up the next letter.

"_My sweet Maggie,_

_You must know where the treasure is kept, so here are some clues._

_There's a cave at the mouth of the canyon, sister dear. You have to find the cave to find the treasure. From our lookout you can see the turf growing back over where we buried the treasure._

_You must read carefully what I write. The treasure is Beneath the foot of a mountain, which we named after our friend Davis. To find the mountain, you must know that nearby is a curving canyon, whose west wall is covered with trees, and whose east is bare. There is a stream that goes through the canyon. A small cataract has been made by a ten foot drop, and two springs run nearby. Twenty steps east of the treasure, you will find a square rock. _

_You must not let prying eyes see the contents of this letter, Maggie. Perhaps this is too plain for you, but once you find, you seek still._

_Arthur"_

Riley was pulling at face at the last sentence, "What is he going on about?" he asked.

"I don't know…yet," Ben said, and picked up the next letter.

"_Maggie,_

_I have not written for some time. The attack we made often haunts us both in this solitude, for death itself holds this valley. Remember every word, and share them with no one. I hope my previous Clues have found their way into your hands only, and that they shall aid you in finding the treasure._

_I hope you keep well; perhaps we shall venture out soon._

_A"_

"How many letters are there?" Riley asked.

"There's nine," Ben answered.

"Three down, six to go," said Riley, in a tone of boredom.

Ben ignored Riley's comment, and picked up the fourth letter.

"_Sister Sweet,_

_I begin to wonder if we shall ever leave off hiding; if I shall ever see you again. Jim suggested that we rebury the treasure, which is why we did it. Do not reproach me for it – I do it for you, the sister that I love. Soon, perhaps, I shall see you again, and we can get the Buried treasure together._

_A"_

"There's something interesting about these letters," Ben said.

"Is there?" Riley asked. "What could that be? All I have heard so far are some old clues that most people have heard of anyway."

"Some of the words are capitalized mid-sentence."

"Where?" Abigail asked, bending down to look at the letters spread out on the table whilst Riley watched on with his eyebrows raised.

"Here," Ben pointed to the second letter, "and here in the third letter…"

"Beneath, Davis, Clues, Buried…"

"It says something," Ben said as his breath caught in wonderment. "Surely it can't be that simple?"

"But who or what is Davis?" Abigail asked Ben.

Ben picked up the other letters, scanning them for any more clues, but he saw none.

"Ben, could it really be that obvious?" Abigail asked. "Surely someone else could have deciphered that; letters capitalized mid-sentence! Isn't that just obvious – too obvious?"

"That's what I was thinking." Ben said. "It feels like he just gave it to us. And why didn't Maggie find the treasure? Did she? Is that why no one else has found it?"

"Questions." Riley said. "Questions – but no answers!"

"Oh, don't worry about those." Ben said. "We'll get the answers. We always have!"


	3. The Mysterious Phone Call

**Sorry that it has taken me such a long time to update and that this is such a short chapter! If you want longer chapters, then please start leaving reviews! *Laughs cheekily* Enjoy the chapter!**

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><p>Chapter 3 – The Mysterious Phone Call<p>

They had many questions, and they wanted answers. What better way, then, to get answers, than to go to Skeleton Canyon itself? That's what Ben thought, so tickets were booked for a flight down to Arizona in two days.

That same day, whilst Ben was still pouring over the letters, he suddenly had a call on his cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon, Mr. Gates. My name is Heather Ford, and I would like to speak with you on a certain, shall we call it, 'business matter'? It is very important that I see you."

"Uh, how did you…"

"The telephone directory is how I found your details, if you're wondering."

"Right – carry on."

"Well, as it is quite important, I thought maybe more than a phone call would be necessary. Could we meet up?"

"Meet up? What exactly is your business, Mrs. Ford?"

"It's Miss Ford, and let's just say we're on a similar quest."

"I don't think I follow," Ben said slowly, choosing his words carefully.

"Oh, I think you do, Mr. Gates," the woman said. "I think you do. At least Maggie Clinger might follow."

Ben started at the mention of the recipient of the Skeleton Canyon letters. "Alright, you've got me interested. When do you want to meet up?"

"Tonight? How about dinner? You don't need to put on airs and graces, we're just meeting up for business; we can both buy our own food. Oh, and let's keep this between us for a while, shall we?"

"Fine," Ben said, not quite sure what he was getting himself into, but willing to find out. "Where shall we meet?"

"Let's say _Francesco's_. You know the place?"

"Yeah, I go there a lot with my girlfriend. Shall we say six o'clock?"

"Six suits me fine," the voice replied.

"Okay – tonight then."

The conversation ended. Ben put his phone back in his pocket slowly, wandering how the woman, this Heather Ford, had heard about him searching out the mysteries of the Maggie Clinger letters, and the Skeleton Canyon Treasure.

Abigail entered the room with a tray of coffee. "Who were you talking to?"

Ben hesitated. The woman had said to keep this between the two of them for some reason or other – did that mean he ought to keep it from Abigail? "Uh, just some person – business matters."

"What sort of business?" Abigail asked.

"You know, just…business," Ben answered.

"Right," Abigail said, not sure how to respond, for Ben was obviously keeping something from her. "So, where are you taking me for dinner tonight? I've been looking forward to it all week – and you still haven't told me where we're going."

Ben groaned inwardly. "I promised to take you to dinner tonight?" he repeated.

"Yes, oh, come on Ben, don't tell me you forgot?"

"No…I mean…yes, but, I've got a business meeting tonight honey, and…"

"When did you arrange this? Is this the business you were talking about? Did you just arrange it? But you knew we were going out together!"

"Look, Abigail, it completely slipped my mind, but we can go out tomorrow, and we'll make a real day of it."

Abigail tucked a stray wisp of blonde hair behind her ear, and sighed. "Alright, Ben; can't you tell me what the business is about?"

"Not yet, I'm not quite sure what I'm getting myself into yet myself, but I'll let you know as soon as I can. I'm really sorry, Abigail."

"I guess your business deal must be pretty important, huh?"

"Yeah," Ben said. "I guess so." He stopped for a moment, and thought to himself, _"Perhaps some of our questions are about to be answered, after all. Well, I just guess I'll have to wait and see who this Heather Ford is and what she wants. Till tonight then, when, perhaps, a lot of things will be revealed."_

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><p><strong>Who could Heather Ford be? Well, I'll try to update and let you know soon, but till then, please leave a line or two to let me know what you think of the story so far! Thanks!<strong>


	4. Heather Ford

**Sorry for taking such a long time to update, but I've been really busy. Could you please review my story? Thankyou!**

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><p>Chapter 4 – Heather Ford<p>

Ben stopped for a moment before he entered _Francesco's._ He took a deep breath, and slowly pushed the door open. He scanned the restaurant for someone who could perhaps match the voice that he had heard on the phone that afternoon, but he didn't see anyone who wasn't already paired with someone. He approached one of the waiters.

"Is there a Heather Ford here tonight?" he asked.

The waiter shook his head, "Not yet, but a Miss Ford did leave a booking for a table. Would you like a table Sir?"

"No, no I'm waiting for someone," Ben said, and stepped back to wait near the table which this Heather Ford would most likely approach to check in for her reserved table. It wasn't long till a fresh-looking blonde haired lady entered the restaurant and approached the booking table.

"You're Ben Gates," she said, recognition sweeping over her face. "I saw your picture in the paper after your most recent discovery. I'm Heather Ford," she extended her hand toward Ben and he shook it slowly.

"You know, I'm very curious about your phone call Miss Ford."

She smiled, "I'm glad. That was the idea. A busy man like you – I thought the only way to get to lay my proposition before you would be if I told you a little of what it was about."

"You've hardly told me anything," Ben said. "What exactly do you mean by a proposition?"

"Let's sit down Mr. Gates. I never talk when I'm standing."

"Right," Ben said, nodding.

It wasn't long before Ben and Heather were sitting together at a table, browsing over the menus.

Ben laid his down first, "I'll just have my usual," he said.

"You come here often?" Heather asked.

"Sometimes – just me and my girlfriend," said Ben. "But anyway – your proposition?"

"Oh, Ben – you don't mind me calling you that now, do you?"

Ben raised his eyebrow, but shook his head.

"Well, Ben (and you must call me Heather), I never discuss business on an empty stomach."

Ben sighed. It was going to be a long evening!

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><p>A little while later, they had ordered thier food, and were both eating..<p>

"Now, do you mind telling me what all this is about?" Ben asked. "You mentioned Maggie Clinger. What did you mean by that?"

"I think you already know, Ben," the woman said in her rich, deep tone. She took a sip of her wine, and laughed. "Surely you already followed that I was talking about the map?"

Ben sat up right in his chair. "The map? What map?" He wasn't sure if she was testing him, and so wanted to be on his guard. She might be trying to get information out of him herself, and he didn't want to risk anything.

Heather laughed again, a slow, rippling laugh. "Oh, Ben, you know what map I mean. The map Arthur Burtcher sent to his sister, Maggie Clinger. You have the letters, so you should know."

"What do you mean I have the letters?" Ben asked.

"Don't be so on your guard, Ben. Owning those letters isn't a criminal offense! But they are worth an awful lot, to you, and to me. Likewise the map is worth an awful lot to me, but it will be worth a lot to you. Don't you see? We could be a great team. Just you and me, and when we find the treasure, we'll split it between the two of us." Her eyes were gleaming, and her chest was heaving with rapturous passion as she spoke. "What good is a trip to Arizona going to do you without the map? But what good will it do me without the letters? They go hand in hand, Ben, and neither of us are about to part with our clue that leads to the treasure. But if we pair up, then we have a chance."

Ben laughed, "How do I know you're not spoofing? How do I know you have the map? How do you know I even have the letters? What makes you think that I plan on visiting Arizona?"

"You're a very careful man, Ben," she said with a smile.

"You have to be, in my business," Ben said, smiling back at her.

The smiles that they were sharing were far from friendly. They were more of a wall, or a fictitious mask.

"Well, Ben, to answer your questions," Heather said. "I know that you booked tickets to Arizona this afternoon. You are going with Riley Poole and Abigail Chase. I happen to be one of those people who, let's just say, knows how to find things out."

"Right," Ben said, nodding knowingly. "Go on."

"I know you have those letters, because I knew that the man who owned the house (before Riley Poole) had those letters, and he refused to sell them, though he himself never went in search of the treasure. I went in search of the benefiters of his will, the ones who had inherited the house and everything in it. It appeared that they had never come across any such letters, and when I found out that Riley Poole had bought the house, I put two and two together, and guessed that such a mastermind as you would never overlook the letters, and that they would soon be in your hands."

"A mastermind? You flatter me Miss Ford."

"It's Heather, Ben," she said smiling. "And to answer your other questions, I am not spoofing, I actually have the map on me – I kind of suspected that you might be wary."

They both laughed.

"Ben?" Abigail's voice made him jump.

"Abigail?" he stood up to find himself looking into the face of his girlfriend.

"Oh, right, I see," she said quickly. "I understand, Ben. Of course you weren't quite sure whether you wanted to tell me about your 'business meeting'. Well, if you were waiting to see whether you liked her enough before you told me, don't waste any more time. I see what you meant when you said it was important!" and she stormed out of the restaurant, with Ben following close behind her.

"Abigail!" Ben called after his girlfriend. Finally, when they were halfway down the street she stopped and turned around. "Please listen, I can explain."

"Oh, I'm sure you can Ben! I'm sure you can!"

"No, please. It is a business deal. I promise you. Look, it's to do with the Skeleton Canyon Treasure. This woman, Miss Ford, she has the map!"

Abigail hesitated. "You mean…"

"I mean this is nothing more than a business deal. I assure you. I _promise_ you, Abigail, it is nothing more than that."

"Oh, Ben, I'm sorry. I just saw you together, you were laughing together, in a nice restaurant, and I just thought…"

"No, I can see how you thought that. And I'm sorry that you got upset by it. What were you doing there for?"

"Riley knew I was on my own tonight, and said he'd take me out. Ben, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even thought that of you."

"No, I'm sorry. I should have told you in the first place. I don't keep secrets from you."

Abigail smiled. "Mind if I join in on your 'business meeting'?"

"No," Ben said, taking her hand in his. "Not at all; besides, we're in this together. If Miss Ford doesn't want anyone else in on this, then she's just going to have to find another business partner."

And so saying, Ben and Abigail walked back into the restaurant together.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed! I'd love to hear from you! Please review!<strong>


	5. At the Chasm of Mysteries

**Sorry for the delay. Enjoy!**

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><p>Chapter 5 – At the Chasm of Mysteries<p>

It wasn't long till they were all on the plane, on their way to Arizona. Even Heather Ford was with the little group. She kept the map carefully packaged in a brown envelope, and Ben kept the letters tied up in the brown paper that they had been found in.

There was nothing completely remarkable about the map. Ben was sure that there was more to it than met the eye, but he didn't know what. Heather hardly allowed him any time to examine the map, and always seemed on edge when he did look at it. At least, that was how it seemed to Ben, but he was extremely unsure of her. There was something that he didn't quite like. It was the way how she appeared to be friendly, but he could tell it was all a farce. There was nothing sincere or realistic about her pleasant attitude. No, it was completely forced!

The journey didn't take long. When they finally arrived, they got a taxi, and were driven out to the renowned Skeleton Canyon.

Abigail held onto Ben's arm excitedly whilst she peered out of the car window, expecting to see the ravine at every bend in the road. Finally, she squeezed his hand in her excitement, and pointed.

There, rising out of the morning mist was Skeleton Canyon; the place where the great fight had taken place between the Estrada gang and Old Man Clanton's men! The place where the treasure was said to be buried! It was there, rolling right in front of their eyes, seeming almost enchanting as the haze lifted in the radiant summer heat. Was the treasure really there? Was it all a myth? Had Maggie found it, and no one knew? Perhaps they would never know. But they had a good chance of finding out. Things were just beginning. They had clues, fragments of clues. But if they knew how to piece them together, then they should find the treasure. They had to find the treasure!

Ben fingered the letters as he looked at the gorge that they were gradually nearing. The canyon seemed mysterious, and perhaps a bit foreboding. There was something about it that whispered of secrets, but if there were any, who knew if they would be uncovered?

The taxi finally came to a stop. Ben, Abigail, Riley and Heather all tumbled out of the vehicle, dragging with them the items that they had brought with them for their search. The driver stuck his head out of the window.

"You sure this is the place?" he asked. "No one comes here anymore. If you're just holiday makers looking up an old myth, forget it! It's a waste of time. There ain't a bit of truth in that story about the treasure – it's an old fable and nothing more. Everyone gave up on that one a long time ago."

"Maybe so," Ben said, "but I don't give up easily."

The driver shrugged. "Your loss, I guess. Hey, you want me to hang around?"

"No," Ben said. "We'd just keep you waiting."

"Like I said, that's nothing but a legend! You're wasting your time friend."

"Maybe so," Ben said, giving the driver the money for the ride. "Maybe so."

The man drove off, leaving the party looking up into the great ravine before them. What secrets did it hold? Was it all nothing more than a petty story? But they had proof, in the letters and map. No, the treasure was real alright. They just had to find it!

"Where do we begin?" Riley asked.

"Davis," Ben answered. "We need to find Davis. Wherever it is, there are more clues. That's what the letters said."

"And Davis," Abigail added, "was the name they gave to a mountain, after a friend they knew."

"Right," Riley said. "There are a lot of mountains round here. Which one do we search first?"

"I suggest we split up," Heather said. "We have more of a chance that way."

Ben hesitated.

"I go where the map goes," Heather continued. "It'll be you and me Ben. Riley and Abigail can go together."

Ben wasn't at all sure, but Abigail nodded her head at him.

"Alright, Heather," Ben said slowly. "We'll do it your way. Riley, Abigail, you head off that way. Heather and I will go this way."

And the little party split up to search the famed chasm of mysteries.

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><p><strong>Did you enjoy the chapter? Please let me know your thoughts!<strong>


	6. The Threat!

**Hi there! I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Now the adventure begins...**

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><p>Chapter 6 – The Threat!<p>

Ben and Heather made their way over the rocks. A natural curve was drawn out of the many boulders, providing them with a little natural path. Despite this, Heather was struggling. She was breathing heavily behind Ben, making him turn around, surprise that she should be exhausted so soon. Only then did he notice her high-heeled shoes. She was trying in vain to get a footing on the rough path, and Ben felt like he could sigh in exasperation and laugh all at once!

"Well," Heather cried. "Aren't you going to help me?" She held out her hand to him, and raising an eyebrow, Ben reached forward, and grabbing her hand, pulled her up over a particularly uneven portion of ground.

"May I suggest," Ben said quietly, "that next time you come out to hunt for treasure, you come more…suitably dressed."

Heather looked at Ben defiantly, whilst contempt and embarrassment flashed through her eyes. She now had a rosy flush in her cheeks which Ben was sure the fresh air and exercise had not supplied!

They continued their incline; Heather struggling on to the extreme sense of the word. Skeleton Canyon was indeed large. Ben himself wondered how they would manage to cover all the ground and at the same time find what they were looking for. The map, though he was sure would be helpful, was at present useless. If it was indeed Arthur Burtcher who had drawn it, he had made it quite unreadable. True, he had marked out a few landmarks, but whereabouts the portion of the ground was that had been sketched on the map, there was no knowing! It could be anywhere in this large chasm!

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><p>Abigail and Riley were making perhaps a little more progress than Ben and Heather. They had by no means found anything – but they, thanks to suitable footwear, had managed to cover more ground.<p>

"Do you think we'll find anything?" Riley asked Abigail.

"I'm sure we will," Abigail answered. "We have perhaps the only clues there are leading to the treasure – we have to find it!"

"I'm not so sure," Riley said. "There's this really creepy feeling about this place. I don't like it!"

"Oh, Riley!" Abigail exclaimed. "Really! There's nothing creepy about the canyon at all."

"There is," Riley argued. "There's something threatening! Like something's going to happen."

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><p>They had gone some way now. Heather was beginning to look nervy and anxious, and perhaps a little jumpy, too. She was by now in front, for she had insisted that if there was going to be anything to see, then she would be the first to see it. Ben had been unwilling to agree, knowing that her pace was going to slow them down immensely.<p>

"Heather," Ben said, as they made their way along. "We ought to get out the map again. I really think…"

He stopped mid-sentence, for Heather had suddenly turned around with a vicious gleam in her eye. Another gleam caught his attention as the sun's rays caught a glimpse of metal in a sudden display of brilliance. Heather had a Colt in her hand, its barrel aimed right at him! Ben started when he saw the handgun, and looked with repugnance upon his antagonist.

"Alright, Ben, that's far enough," Heather said, slowly backing away from him. She laughed, "You thought the map was real, my story was real, and I was real. Heather Ford, the lady with the map, ha! Well, Ben, it's all too bad that you did believe me. There's no map, and now, for you, there are no letters, because you are about to give them to me. Take them out of your pocket, and lay them on the ground in front of you. Do not make any sudden moves, or I will kill you!"

She had by now backed onto a raised bit of ground so that she was slightly higher than him. She laughed again, that same slow, rippling laugh that now shook Ben's frame with revulsion.

"Well," she said. "Go on – do I say, Ben, for I mean it. I do not mind killing you, and I will if I need to. I'm warning you Ben Gates, there's no one here to help you. No girlfriend, no Riley Poole. You have no choice if you care a jot about your life – so do as I say!"

"You!" Ben said, his voice was quiet with rage, and he shook his head with disgust. "You won't get away with this, Heather!"

"You don't think so?" she asked smiling wickedly. "I knew from the beginning that you never trusted me. But I also knew that if I pretended that I had the real map that everyone has looked for for years, then I would have a chance. I knew that you would risk taking me on, if only you had another clue! And I was right," she added triumphantly. "It was a good thing that you didn't question its authenticity. So, Ben," she continued darkly, "give me the letters."

She held out her hand, and shook it out at him in a demanding way whilst taking a couple of steps back, still holding her handgun pointed at Ben. Then, quite suddenly, her heel caught in a snag in the rocks, ripping it from the rest of the shoe. She gave a scream as she fell backwards, instantly shooting the gun into the air as she disappeared over the side of the rocks. Ben immediately ran forward to see where she had fallen. A small stream rippled over her body as she lay in a limp, bloody heap, 10 feet below him.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope I've got you on the edges of your seats! Please let me know your thoughts!<strong>


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